The Mimic
Hidden in plain sight
A fiend you have not known
Waiting to give you a fright
And ‘keep’ you for its own
That keg, that chair,
The table over there…
Those logs, this curtain,
You never know for certain
Where the mimic lies
Due to its disguise
Given a chance
With a quick advance
It takes you by surprise!
And what does it do then you ask?
You’ll wish you had just one more flask
To keep you company
For he devours all he sees!
That door! That rug!
It hides in place so sly and snug,
And there the beast is lurking!
Smiling, no, smirking!
For there the mimic lies,
Hidden now by its disguise!
Just waiting for happenstance
To grant it the perfect chance
To take you by surprise!
Most commonly? A chest!
To draw in the greedy guest!
Altar, trunk, or safe could be
The perfect place to wait and see!
He knows, he knows,
The clever form he chose
Draws prey to him with not thought
And after that… They’ll be forgot!
For where the mimic lies
Without its disguise
It’s not waiting for a chance
No longer seeking to advance
As it enjoys its prize…
So my friends let it be said,
A careless mind could wind up dead
Roaming with no plan or gimmick
Especially if they meet… a mimic!
Long have I loved the concept of the mimic. I remember playing video games and encountering chests that were traps or monsters, and when I learned of the mimic in Dungeons & Dragons I was smitten. Now the party my little bard belongs to has encountered two mimics and of course, I had to write some lines for them. Originally they were supposed to be the lines that concluded my last poem, Keys in the Water, but… I couldn’t resist writing a whole song for the beasties instead! Hope you enjoyed it!
